June 5, 2019
Editor’s Note: The FACTS Advisory Council consists of a talented and diverse group of individuals whose guidance and support are crucial to the success of our organization. Being a member of our Advisory Council is a voluntary position and their work with FACTS is a generous contribution of time and expertise. This year we are featuring one of our Council members each month to highlight their unique contributions to our mission. Our series continues with Dr. Abby Crowley, a lifelong educator who recently completed service in the U.S. Peace Corps training college faculty in the Philippines. A strong proponent of fertility awareness education, her enthusiasm, encouragement, and skills in developing educational materials for professionals have been valuable assets supporting the mission of FACTS.
Meet Abby Crowley, EdD
Dr. Abby Crowley has enjoyed a long career in education as a teacher, school principal, university professor, consultant, and member of Prince George’s County Board of Education. She is an adjunct professor of Education at Trinity University and served as director of professional development at Catholic Charities in Washington, DC for eighteen years. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in special education from Boston University and a Masters and Doctoral degree in Education Administration from Catholic University of America. She serves on the Board of Directors of Pathways Schools.
In Her Own Words
Dr. Crowley has been actively involved with FACTS since its inception. She played a central role in the development of the FACTS Speaker training program and is pleased to contribute to this important work. Her motivation stems from the lack of choices she had for family planning in her own life. She believes “the benefits of fertility awareness based methods (FABMs) to health and to the environment are significant, and they should be available to every woman. Somehow, we must increase the awareness and availability of FABMs and get the word out about their efficacy.” This is precisely what she has enabled the FACTS team to do.
Unique Contributions to the Mission of FACTS
Dr. Marguerite Duane, executive director of FACTS, has had “the privilege of knowing and working with Dr. Crowley for more than a decade.” Their working relationship began when Dr. Duane was medical director and Dr. Crowley served as director of professional development at the same organization. In that role, Dr. Crowley developed educational materials and programming for staff, and Dr. Duane was impressed with her skills and knowledge developing tools for professionals.
Dr. Crowley has been enthusiastic about the mission of FACTS since the beginning, as she was disappointed to never hear about FABMs until a friend shared her knowledge about them. She feels strongly every woman should know about fertility awareness based methods. So when Dr. Duane approached her about expanding our FACTS educational programs, she was thrilled to work with our team to develop the FACTS Speaker program.
Early on, Dr. Duane gave presentations about fertility awareness, the science behind FABMs, and the importance of offering these methods to women and couples. Yet, Dr. Crowley’s vision involved a broader reach, and she encouraged Dr. Duane to develop a strategy to share presentations more widely. She guided FACTS to design and implement a program to train medical professionals and fertility awareness educators to provide evidence-based presentations, and the first one launched in 2014. Since then, we have offered nearly a dozen speaker trainings, and over ninety medical and health professionals are now trained as FACTS speakers.
With Dr. Crowley’s support and expertise in education, our efforts have been magnified. We are grateful to have Dr. Crowley as an integral part of FACTS and our Advisory Council.
More About Dr. Crowley
Dr. Crowley has been generous with FACTS through her time, talents, and resources. Dr. Duane has the utmost respect and admiration for Dr. Crowley. The entire FACTS team appreciates that she is a regular donor to the work of FACTS. She believes in the mission and donates time as well as financial resources to support our work. Thanks to her support and efforts, we are able to reach more medical professionals who are then trained to offer the gift of fertility awareness to women and couples. We are grateful!
Dr. Crowley lives in Greenbelt, Maryland with her husband—also a teacher—and their black lab, Bodhi. She has two sons and a nine year-old granddaughter.
RESIDENTS and MEDICAL STUDENTS!
Would you like to enroll in our two-week ONLINE COURSE
to learn about fertility awareness based methods and their applications
in women’s health and family planning?
Here’s what your peers think about this unique opportunity…
I learned the physiology of the woman’s menstrual cycle in such great detail that I can read charts systematically like an electrocardiogram. Not only are FABMs useful for family planning but even for diagnosing and treating medical conditions.
Chris Galletti, MD, who completed the FACTS elective as a 4th year medical student
Find out more about this elective and enroll HERE!
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and Earn CME Credit!
These 1-hour presentations are an excellent way
to expand your knowledge of FABMs
and BONUS – most are approved for CME credit!